Shuffling to the bus

Looked up from my shuffle to the new temp terminal to see a pickup alongside. All hail the three giant Doggie Diner heads. Darn, no camera, once again. And my lo-tech phone doesn't have one; I stepped off the tech train for a while. But apparently these dogs get around: http://laughingsquid.com/doggie-diner-dog-heads/

 

 

 

 

Brrrr. Dug out the big sweater. I am grateful for warmth and taps that open to deliver clean water. Oh, and cornmeal pancakes.

Here’s a job I might consider, if I could do it part time: mortuary transport driver. Two years ago or so I cajoled H. into letting me drive a hearse to Illinois, bearing someone on their next to-last earthly journey. It was an honor, really. Plus we stopped on the way back and ate fried walleye, back in the days I was eating more of that kind of stuff.

Indiana Recycling, another try

What to do with all those old toilets hanging around--a BIGGER version. No, they're not in my back 40. Southern Indiana, last week.

 

 

Indiana Recycling

What to do with all those old toilets hanging around the back 40.

 

Indiana Fair

Green screen comes to the carny aisle...

Vikings vs Italians

More tales from the commute: boring, I know, but it was SO EASY yesterday. Ah, Columbus Day. B. picked me up at the bottom of the hill at the end of the day and I started in rhapsodizing about the rather traffic-free ride over. Not too many raging drivers. "Well, it is Indigenous People's day," I commented. He slammed on the brakes and said GET OUT OF THE CAR. Then I remembered he's half Italian. "Well," I sniffed, "The Vikings were actually visiting North America long before he made his way to the Bahamas." I'm a mongrel Norwegian, so I had to speak up. He was just kidding. We had spaghetti, meatballs and some kind of Chinese green for dinner. Then I watched Austin & Santino make dresses for 2 ladies in Asheville, NC--another great city, but I digress...

Little did I know what Disney Radio has been up to. But I know now, thanks to my ride in this morning, in a Honda tricked out with Mickey and Minnie seat covers and redolent with the lingering memory of old take-out. The girl singer was shrieking an aqueous buzz, I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH real HARD I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH I SHAKE MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH. At least half of the 8.5-mile span (approach to approach).

Andy enterprises: run, run, run

Oh boy, an Andy show to visit in Indianapolis when I'm there in 2 weeks.   There was a flash mob to kick it off.

Hug a comma?

Today is National Punctuation Day. Perhaps you'd like to cook a meatloaf in celebration.

At the Smog Station

This morning starts with a visit to the tune-up place on E. 14th for a smog test. Leafing through grungy car sale tabloids, I come across a note written  in the margin next to an ad for a 1991 MBZ ($10K): Some people will always hate you for the old person that you were, but they will hate you even more for the better person you have become.  Is this a twisted birthday toast, or a therapy group confession? Older person that I am.

Tomatoes

The heirlooms suffered in the summer cold; the plum, yellow, and cherry tomatoes went wild. A cure for the common  cold: slice plum in half lengthwise, lay out in pan cut side up. Brush on olive oil; add salt/pepper and dried oregano. Roast in slow oven (250) for several hours, until all is soft and carmelized. Slather on sliced baguette. Be glad. Very glad.

 

Choice

The choice of which vaccum cleaner to get to replace the beat-up one is making me insane.

 

 

Road Trip

Just back from a 2-week road trip. One in the car, back roads across the Plains, the other in Indiana. Petroleum unfriendly, I know I know. Fed bees. Fed hummers. Fed folks. Surrounded by tomatoes, and even more greeting me know.  Pictures later.

 

 

The water's fine

...New tank, old sunflowers.  Now, today, if only the fog were to burn off.

 

 

Galvanized trough

Now we have a pool or a planter: a "seconds" galvanized trough from Santa Rosa.     

Graffito of they day

On the back of a small sign on the freeway exit ramp: PLEASE STOP POURING SALT ON ME. It’s a friendly enough request, don't you think?

The Fourth

Be safe, out there. . . .

Curiosa

 Quite the collector:   Curiosa. I found a copy at a favorite bookstore, Copperfield's. Along with the new books they always have an odd collection of remainders that I find irrestible, every time I go to Calistoga. T&R and I went in search of wine and galvanized tanks, but not a soak. SCORE.  

 

Houses for Weight Loss

Perhaps the back 40 could use this—I certainly could.

 

 

MX-80 in Pandora's Box

So I visit pandora.com to see what kind of "MX-80" like music they would like to decode for me as attributes, genomically speaking. Here's what I get: electric rock instrumentation . punk influences . a subtle use of vocal harmony . extensive vamping . minor key tonality . a vocal-centric aesthetic . electric rhythm guitars. Heatmiser, Cop and Speeder, Disappearing Ink: http://www.pandora.com/music/song/heatmiser/disappearing+ink

I also get the Norwegian sextet, Kaizers Orchestra http://www.pandora.com/music/album/kaizers+orchestra/evig+pint

who resides "in the gray area between Scandinavian death metal, traditional folk, and Tom Waits-inspired Tin Pan Alley pop. Their second full-length, Evig Pint, is the soundtrack to a nightmarish carousel that refuses to let off its 12 terrified children. Those 12 tracks are fueled by a sinister pump organ, alley-can drums, and a brutal horn section that sound like a klezmer group on the banks of the river Styx."

All I can say, is, Yikes.

We're goin' to a weddin' soon

We're going to a wedding soon in Monterey, staying by the bay (so deep!). But what to get them youngins"? I don't know the happy couple, personally, but I will soon. Their registry has so many choices. SPOILER ALERT: I'm going for the $150 toothbrush, I think. They'll appreciate it when they hit the 40-year mark and still have sparkling teeth. Or a set of grapefruit spoons. Citrus is always in fashion. Hope politics in Thailand clear up right away.

Buying Books
About the only venues I buy books these days are garage sales and airports--I'm not quite to the e-reader stage. Last week's scores, en route to Indiana: Predictably Irrational, the Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions and The 4 Day Diet (Be thinner by Friday!!!). Let's face it, I like to read about brains. But what did I read on the plane? Some tabloid, from the seatmate, that spilled the guts on the next-to-final episode of Celebrity Apprentice I missed. Silly TV, but I've tried the winning Snapple drink. Not as good as homemade root beer, but drinkable.

Mother and I visit the Indiana Medical History Museum in Naptown

At one time, 1800 folks lived at Central State, including "difficult women" brought by their husbands. Seeing a doctor what: once an hour once a month? The therapy was "moral"--gardening and insulin shock, not lobotomy. Today, the grounds include the pathology lab , retirement home for police horses, city storage buildings, medicinal plant garden, and wide open empty space. A lot has changed in 100 years. After our visit, we went to Mug 'n Bun for homemade root beer and onion rings. "Eat however you want!" #3 of 1200+ restaurants in Indianapolis, say some. Fabulous brew, rings not so much.

Magic Number

Ah, my magic number, marking an escape from the corporate world. What is it!? I need your advice.

World Saxophone Quartet

Now here's quite the school convocation....I''m impressed. As I recall, we had the country's fastest typist. At the time. 

 

 

Even more Moondog

Try this. Minimalist, avant, I like it....

Volcano Travel

From the NYT: "The British actor John Cleese, finding himself stranded in Oslo, hired a Mercedes taxi to take him the 932 miles from Oslo to Brussels, where he hoped to get a train to London, said one of his agents, Dean Whitbread. Three drivers took turns at the wheel, stopping only for bathroom breaks and a ferry crossing, said Mr. Whitbread; the fare came to about $5,000." Now that's a road trip. I still want to go to Iceland sometime.

Two nights ago this word came to me while I was *asleep*: synecdoche. sin-eck-doche. syn-ek-da-kee. Don't think I'd heard it ever, and no, I hadn't seen the Charlie Kaufman film of the same name by any stretch. I learned this on further research. "To receive, understand. A part of speech by which a part is put for the whole (50 sail for 50 ships), the whole for a part, the species for the genus, the genus for the species, the name of the material for the thing made." Makes my head hurt. Last night, all the dreams were of loss, water, compaction, unanswerable phones, lost luggage, flirting, buying oddities (jalapeno cotton candy)...and running from mean squirrels. Rise and shine!

Some say the Wii fitness games can be hazardous to adults, but generally not this way: Dale in Berkeley was Wii bowling, wound 'er up, let go, and accidentally threw the controller through the 46-inch TV. Well, of course it was accidental. If someone had to do it, the kids were glad it was her and not them. ThatTV is dead for good.

This week's work projects involved 60 hours of wrangling with words, Word, crashes, and recoveries. My nature isn't used to it. The body still can do it, kinda, and even a little yoga helps. But one deadline's done, and 3 days at the Holiday Inn 60 seconds from my office, courtesy Priceline, soothed the back-and-forth travel. (Yes, it did, but too bad it was spring break on 1 floor.) Best lines of all, in the middle of the crunch: "You're wonderful." "Can I get you a latte." "Did you know your extension is the first three notes of Three Blind Mice?" (No, I did not know that.) Now, back to marigold planting and watching dust motes float in the sun.

On Being Prepared

H dreamed that California experienced an 8.2 shaker. Though I'm being selfish to say so, I hope that we DON'T have a big earthquake here--we're not prepared at all. I'm thinking the following would help instill a sense of security for the 5 of us in the immediate compound, however false that sense might be or assuming that we could all make it to the compound: 50 gallons of water, 50 cans of tuna cat food, 50 cans of tuna people food,  50 rice-in-foil packs (like Indian food), 50 monster-lo-carb energy drinks (double size),  20 chocolate bars, a case of generic beer with the word BEER on the can (even a bottle of vodka + seltzer, in case cocktails seem therapeutic),  20 boxes of vegetable stock, 10 bags of dried fruit, 10 bags of trail mix, self-winding flashlights, a swiss army knife, a pad of paper, some pencils, a bottle of aspirin, lots of clean underwear, a book on identifying edible weeds. Am I forgetting anything? Heck, that might even be enough to barter with. Throw in 20 pounds of flour and a few packets of yeast, for a wood-burning oven pit? I'm assuming bedding will be accessible somehow. And R will have her nurse bag with the good stuff. What about guns 'n ammo, my spouse wondered.

On Being Handy

This morning I am off to look for baskets and hinges, if I ever get dressed. Maybe a new Kitchenaid mixer--or not. The expensive one I bought for B a few years ago broke during my watch, when I was making calzone dough. Apparently, I learned on the inet, this is a common problem when making doughs, and I don't know if I have the energy to try to fix it (here's a funny story about a woman who did). Just knead the dang dough yourself is a point of view I may return to. I managed to half-fix the vacuum because I don't really feel like spending  $400 on a new one (eg, it works well enough on a certain setting but the high-power carpet thing is spotty, but we only have 1 carpet so that's OK).

 

Alpha Poem--dark version

Insomnia game: write a poem with every letter of the alphabet. So here goes....(articles don't count)

A bomb came down, elevating fire, gouging hopes, injuring the just, the knowing. Like-minded nomads opened paths, quietly racing, searching to unearth  v  w x y zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Record holders

I need a new hobby. Which record shall I try to break?

 

The greatest number of standard beermats ever stuffed in to the mouth?

Trampoline to trampoline bouncing?

Letters to editors?

Most paintings completed in 25 hours (medical art)?

 

Fran Capo is certainly on a roll: highest book signing, most chiropractic patients, deepest book signing, fastest talking, fastest song to nationally syndicated radio broadcast.

Casual Commute

So for today's casual commute, I jump into a Celica with a postal worker driving. Or at least he has the uniform on (the shorts, and in this weather!). Are you working at the post office in SF I ask. Well, no, I just stole this uniform for its fashion factor, he tells me.  Snickery boy. There was method to my madness; the hubby retired from the Laurel Post Office about 50 feet from the pickup, and that would be a lot closer than the post office in The City (South SF, to be exact). But he thought Oakland was just not the place for him, except to save on rent. Send more letters with stamps, would you be so kind . . .  

*My* word of the day: chatoyant

Dictionary.com: –adjective. 1. changing in luster or color: chatoyant silk. 2. Jewelry. reflecting a single streat of light when cut in a cabochon. -noun. Jewelry. a cabochon-cut gemstone having this reflected streak, as a chrysoberyl cat's-eye

Webster's: to shine like a cat's eye: having a changeable luster or color with an undulating narrow band of white light

Happy birthday to me. Thanks, Ange.
I am SO pegged as a cat lady... a
shout out to Milo, Cooper, Huey,
Moochie and up front Ink and Spot.

Word of the day

Palinopsia (Greek: palin for "again" and opsia for "seeing") is a visual disturbance that causes images to persist to some extent even after their corresponding stimulus has left. These images are known as afterimages and occur in persons with normal vision. However, a person with palinopsia experiences them to a significantly greater degree, to the point where they become difficult or impossible to ignore. This often results in mild to severe anxiety and/or depression (Source: wikipedia) (a true medical condition)

Oh nooooooooooo here we go again. I’m just sayin’… I thought she left …

Eleven degrees outside. Over leftover New Year's corn beef and a spot of eggs, Harry tells me about rabbits, hunting, Amish, the WPA having men build a brick road in downtown Winamac that's still there, how their folks lost their farm but came back, truck gardening, and heavy hens. Driving'
around, he came across a farm sale, friends of his, where the daughter was just selling off everything, including the animals. So six heavy hens he bought, and they threw the two roosters in, too. He knows how to cook them. A heavy hen is a hen that has stopped laying and in farm life, you know what's next. In the preparing, some had very soft eggs in them. This gave me pause but snapped me back to the moment. Here I am, still cluckin' around, accumulating ideas and dreams and aiming to get out from under the cluckin' clutter. Picture: stolen from the ether.